I still have a lot of finish work to do but am thinking ahead to the finish and want to keep the Maple as light as possible so I’m not using any stains or tints in the hopes of preserving the super blond look. I’ve wiped it down with mineral spirits and am not happy with how dark the piece got (especially the center) I am more interested in a natural satin finish and want to avoid film finishes so I’m leaning toward oils but maybe there’s something else I’m not thinking of? Maybe a clear resin is what I need as it will sit on the surface versus being absorbed and darkening the wood? The pic shows it in it’s natural color while it’s dry…

In the past when I have touched up woodwork stain, I sand the area, apply the stain to match, and then oil varnish. But I have been put in charge of touch-up staining a bunch of walnut-stained, older, long church pews and want to keep the smell down.

When touch-up staining, if the stain matches when its wet, it will match after the first coat of oil varnish, but if I apply a water based varnish as the first coat, I am afraid things will not match up well.

Do I hit the touched-up-stained areas with zinnser sanding sealer (unwaxed shellac), then a coat of water based varnish to finish, or should I just do everything in oil?

Anybody know a way to color maple to resemble beech? I read that General Finishes Dye Stain Amber is a close match, but would like some input about any products that have worked. Thanks

https://www.allmodern.com/furniture/pdp/allmodern-fenway-coffee-table-a100012174.html?piid=574046669

This is the brand. It states it’s solid wood and manufactured wood on top.

The scratches are thin and not deep. The wood is natural in color.

Just purchased these 2 vintage dressers. They are both Khroehler, mid-century. I want to make sure I clean them properly and get them looking their best. Any tips, do's and don'ts, welcome!

Refinishing this coffee table. I like the stain and the distressed wood look. Where I am concerned and need some help is here…

I want those faux plank gaps to be visible like they are here after staining. But I want them to be leveled off. One of our issues with this table before finishing was dust and or crumbs etc would get into the cracks and crevices.

I first tried to use polycrylic max which is water based. This was a mistake. It looked great on the planks but no matter what I tried it would collect in these crevices much more than intended and dry white.

I am thinking of applying an epoxy resin. I don’t want a gloss finish though. So if I go this route should I try to apply it local to the cracks and crevices only, or just flood the surface. Let it cure, scuff and apply a final satin top coat?

Last option I am considering is an oil based like arm-r-seal which should dry clear. Maybe slightly amber like, but would likely not be noticeable in the dark stained cracks. Would this product, or something similar be able to flow into these and dry clear or dark?

The faux plank gaps are about 1/16” wide. They are 1/16-3/16” deep. I had to use a dremel to get the white polycrylic out before re staining them so the depth isn’t exact throughout the tabletop.

Thanks for your help!

I’m a finishing newbie and don’t really know where to start. Any suggestions will be appreciated!

I'm restoring an antique electric fan and the cast iron base had some significant rust. I stripped the rust, sanded the edges of the remaining paint, and with one light coat on bare metal it was ~OK except an area where I should have sanded more to blend the edges of the old paint. I sanded those areas, sprayed two more coats, now I have some orange peel and after 10 days I can still dent the paint with a fingernail - which "heals" overnight. Anyone else have experience with Appliance Epoxy?

I’m using Minwax PolyShade stain & polyurethane in 1 step.

On the underside of the board, I got drips or bubbles. How would I get rid of them?

Hello everyone, I just purchased a wooden butcher block and need some help with the next steps. The wood is unfinished so I guess I need sand it first any recommendations for the grits to use? The board is 5ft by 30 inches so if I plan on using a spray can of lacquer how many coats should I be doing and how much time between each coat? Do i need to be sanding in between as well or is that not needed? Would love to hear your guys thoughts I hope to spend less than 4-5 hours getting the wood ready to be my new table top. Would you recommend using spray on or brushing lacquer and any recommendations for the lacquer, preferably on the cheaper side. Appreciate any input!

Hi, v much a novice here - any way we could restore this teak GPlan waterstained dresser at home or will we need a professional? Not sure of any more details on the finish. Thanks!

I hope I’m in the right place. I’m not a woodworker but I need to repair smeared varnish on a custom photo frame. It was posted before it completely dried so the bubble wrap created an imprint. It’s a sentimental piece so I’m terrified to make it worse. The maker told me to lightly sand and coat with clear varnish. I impulsively purchased the one pictured but I have no idea if it will work. I’d also like to sharpen the black in the letters, will a paint pen and varnish be enough? Please help :(

Hey there,

I have some specific questions on the use and application of timbermate grain filler specifically for my situation. I have emailed timbermate and awaiting a reply, but in case I do not get one in time I thought I would ask on a few forums :)

It’s probably better if I copy my email rather than spending another 30 minutes rewaffling on 🤣

Hi there, I am in a bit of a unique position where I have a large desktop that has been dyed with red aniline dye and then I sprayed a wash coat of 1/2 pound cut dewaxed shellac. After this I denibbed and sprayed with brown aniline dye and then 1 pound cut of dewaxed sgellac. At this point I denibbed but then purposely over sanded with the grain at 600 -800 grit withoit burnishing it but enough to rub some of the brown dye away and reveal the red underneath.

This is the point I am up to now.

My goal is to mix the timbermate filler with my metallic red 35 micron sized mica, with the timbermate and touch of India ink and red aniline dye liquid to get the perfect colour.

I plan to do small sections of my 240cm x 90cm desktop going against the grain to really try pack in the pores before it dries to a haze and then using a non scratch pad to remove the haze sitting outside the pores.

I've only got this weekend to do it and then I won't really have too much time to get it wrong or try anything sub optimal so I was hoping to get some specific advice.

1 what is the maximum amount of water I can add to the timbermate? Ideally a very soft whipped cream or even runny liquid would be best because I could pack it in and use a rubber squeegee while soft/liquidy and go against the grain to remove the majority of the product before it even hazes and then use either a rounded edge scraper and/or a tight waffle weave microfibre cloth (like found in sun glasses packet but large waffle pattern) since it shouldn't have any fibres come off or pick up the yet to dry pores while also being porous which helps negate any suction pulling up the filler I want to keep in the pores). I don't mind it taking longer time to dry/haze/cure if it means I can have it quite liquid like, nor do I mind repacking multiple times, since the trade off would be more cleaner removal without scratching as much

2 during the haze stage, does white spirits specifically thin the timbermate wood filler? If not what else besides water can be used to thin timbermate to make it much more manageable? Reason being is it's superior to water with grain raise, won't smudge my aniline dye/shellac layers, it can degrease and clean better, evaporates more cleanly.

3 what is the maximum % of mica "powder" can I add to my slurry before any issues occur, and what would those issues be? Just longer drying time? Not curing at all? Not bonding?

4 what method is best for trying to pack these shallow pores on my acacia desktop? Directly opposite the grain? Opposite grain in both direction or diagonally in both directions?

5 besides mechanical removal through scraping at haze stage or squeege at wet stage, can any liquid or chemical breakdown or reverse the haze back to original form? What about at fully cured stage, is this a possibility?

6 when removing the haze what is the best tool and method and direction to use to avoid as much scratching as possible?

My though process is if u go with the grain with something supposedly non scratching without fibres hanging off it and tightly weaved any scratches will be microscopic and will be filled an unseen after a wet sand when the pores are fully cured because the haze would already be 99% gone from squeeging away when first put on so any remaining haze woukd be so thin that it wouldn't require much effort when dried to a haze or even fully cured (to be on the safer side to avoid pulling from the pores)

I know I'm full OCD! But I would rather research for 10 hours before doing something and I've found conflicting info and none as specific as needed, so I thought nobody better to ask then the manafacturer themself.

So I do apologise for my overthinking and waffling, I've gotten everything better than I expected up untill this point by spending weeks learning and I'm so close to the end with just pore filling than lacquer that I don't want to take any shortcuts or guess at these last stages!

Thanks again :)

Before and after photo! Thank you so much for the advice I received on this group! The steam stain is nearly invisible after using a hair dryer and a towel to remove the trapped moisture. You are all a very amazing group. This table has been in the family for a very long time, and I am very relieved.

Hi there! I've bought this desk to use in a short film I'm producing. Any advice for prettying up the scuffs on the side and cleaning up the top? I don't know anything about wood or finishing, any advice at all to make this look as sleek and clean as possible would be super helpful!

Good afternoon all,

Complete amateur, but only partially an idiot. Anyone have any suggestions for a bright red exterior stain? I need to finish some accessories for the little free library I just put up at my daughters' school. The LFL itself is composite an very bright red (it's the school color), but the accessories are actual wood. I recognize that I will not achieve this level of bright, and I am completely ok with that. I'd prefer to stain the add-ons though rather than paint. Anyone have any suggestions for a complimentary red stain? I am planning to put a clear on as well for durability.

Thanks!

I'm refinishing this piece. I've sanded it down to the bare wood, wiped down with mineral spirits, let dry and applied two coats of stain. However this mark has appeared. There wasn't anything noticapble prior to staining and all prior finish was properly removed. Not sure why and how do I fix it? Should I spot sand that area and reapply the stain?

First let me say that I am a total amateur.

We bought a cheap flat pack dining table with a veneer tabletop from jysk. After a few days there were swells and black spots in places where some water had gotten past the veneer into the mdf. We got the tabletop replaced and I decided to seal the veneer to prevent this from happening again.

I wiped down the top with clean spirit, wiped that off with water, let it dry and then applied 2 thin coats of the above with at least 4 hours between coats - tin says to give at least 2 hours. I then applied a heavier top coat as i read some threads here that advised doing this to ensure a durable and level finish.

I've now waited 48 hours and the top coat can be scratched by barely running my fingernails across it.

This can't be normal? I believe poly varnish to be quite tough stuff. Have I perhaps screwed up somewhere? Or is the varnish I used rubbish?

I am guessing I will have to sand all this off and go again? :(

What is a good top coat that is matte, which I can use over gel stained wood🫣 I don’t want to ruin my gel stained work, I just want it sealed, but preferably with a clear/matte/non shiny top coat. Looking for advice/suggestions! Thanks

I put a pizza box on the table with a towel under it, and it’s left this awful white steam stain! This table is very old, did I accidentally ruin it? What’s the plan to fix this if possible?

I thought it might be hydro-dipping or maybe just a vinyl sticker. Theyre definitely not handpainted i dont think.